Thursday, April 25, 2013

V IS FOR VILLAGE


by Kathy Cannon Wiechman

We’re all familiar with the phrase “It takes a village.”

Writing a novel—a good one—is one of those things that requires an entire village.
Botai Village Recons
A writer may sit alone at a computer, but likely he’ll need to consult with a village of experts somewhere along the way. The consultation might take place one-on-one or by reading books the experts wrote.

The dictionary, thesaurus, and grammar guide are villagers, too.

And the village needs reviewers to critique the manuscript. A new pair of eyes helps tremendously. We get too close to our work to see it clearly. I recommend several critiques.

Editors are also part of the village. They can help the writer focus on what the book still lacks. Good editors get the writer to rethink and smooth things out. They help us see the book as a reader will.

And a copy editor is a must! Today’s self-published works are pretty good stories sometimes, but from what I’ve seen, they scream for a copy editor. I have yet to read a self-published novel that doesn’t have multiple typos. If you want to self-publish, invest in a good copy editor.

Your village also needs a lawyer, someone to make sure your interests are protected.

Unless the writer intends to sell every copy of his book from the trunk of his car, his village needs marketing people. Social media can be part of the marketing village, too. So get your Facebook friends and Twitter followers to join your village. It’s today’s version of word-of-mouth.

So write your book, but don’t forget to gather your village around you. And hopefully your book will find a whole village of readers, too.

12 comments:

  1. Yes, all of these are essential. Though if you have an agent, you may not need the lawyer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good point, Natalie. An agent is a good person to add to the village. Thanks.

      Delete
  2. Hi Kim, I agree with you. These are all essential points to keep in mind during a publishing journey.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy here today. Glad you agree. The publishing journey is always smoother with help along the way.

      Delete
  3. Actually I’ve found less typos and errors in self published works than in those with a publisher. The writers I know who self publish make every effort so that their product is professionally finished.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's great! They must have had good copy editors. Or at least someone to carefully proofread. When one tries to proofread for oneself, the typo missed the first & second times will likely be missed on every pass. Thanks for letting me know that some self-pubbers go that extra step.

      Delete
  4. Such a true post. If I ever get published, it will be because of the great support I've received from my writers' group and even from other bloggers. Also, the village helps us feel not so alone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Cindy, good point. That not-alone feeling helps keep us going.

      Delete
  5. And that's who everybody is thanking in their acknowledgments page -- their village. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely! And they always deserve the thanks. Where would we be without them?

      Delete
  6. This is so true. The core of my village is my critique group and it spreads out from there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same here. I belong to 2 critique groups, & I'd be lost without them. I get great critiques & much encouragement & support. Thanks for your comment.

      Delete